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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Sue over at Verdigris Creative Studiohas set herself the challenge of altering one coaster per day for the whole year. She is very ambitious and very dedicated to making this happen. Anyway over the weekend she sent out a call asking for ideas and asking if anyone wanted to play along. So I decided I would, not that I intend to make one every day, I might manage one a week if I am not too busy. So here are the ones I made this weekend to play along with Sue and to give her some ideas.So this is the first one I did to give Sue an idea

But of course I couldn't leave it at that so I decided to decorate it. I used a plastic toy zebra that I covered with text paper and altered to match the block then added some wings and bits and pieces.

This next coaster uses chipboard letters that have been gessoed and then drybrushed. I am sure I will find something to decorate this with too, stay posted.

This one is a technique I was playing with that gave me a web like structure on the coaster so of course I had to add a plastic spider, a few branches and a helpless butterfly.

I must thank Sue for the idea. These little pieces of art are gorgeous and so easy to do. They can be stand alone pieces or can be incorporated into a bigger work of art. I think I can see more of these in my future.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Here's a little Artist Trading Block I did for a swap I was involved in.

Firstly I embossed cardstock and glued it to the block. Then using black gesso I painted it and added tissue paper over and around the cardstock. Once the gesso was dry I drybrushed the embossed areas with copper and gold Lumiere paint. I used pewter Lumiere paint on the tissued areas.

I then decorated the block using Tim Holtz, Spellbinder and Cheery Lynn dies. Side 1

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Welcome to the Imagine If Blog hop. Once again I am blown away by the talent of the ladies on the Design Team. There are some amazing projects this week so make sure you check out all of the blogs starting with Jo's blog at Imagine If and then following her links to the other blogs or you could jump to Katrina's blog and follow on from there.

The giveaway this week is two new chipboard clock cutouts and a set of keys. All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form shown at the bottom of this post and comment on the blog or facebook. The more blogs you leave a comment on the more chances you have to win. Good luck.My project this week is an altered book I made to showcase photos my new grandson Olley and his family.

I started with a large hardcover book. I took out the pages and used only the cover.

I cover the front back and spine with white gesso and tissue paper.

I then sprayed the covers using several colours. When I was happy with the colour I used the Imagine If Twinkle Little Star stencil and randomly added stars using texture paste.

The then layered a picture of Olley on to black card that I tore across the top and then layered Imagine If chipboard around the photos. I used cogs, arrows, a gorgeous little banner and some of the lovely words that Jo produces. I just adored the "You stole my heart" words.

I painted all of the chipboard white before adding it to the cover. I covered the photo with paper towels and began spraying until I was happy with the colour.

I added a few resin bubbles and can tabs but the majority of the layout is made from chipboard.After I had made the cover Jo said she would like to take it to SENZ so it was a mad rush to get the inside finished in time, but I got there. The right hand side page is a multi frame cut from chipboard. I worked out which photo's I wanted to include and then began decorating the frame. Again I used chipboard from Imagine If and I also filled in some gaps using Cheery Lynn dies and some mesh tape.

Once I had it looking the way I wanted I painted everything with white gesso and then when that had dried I sprayed everything black.

Once the black had dried I sprayed it with coloured paints and then when that had dried I dry brushed it all with gold to highlight the texture.

Once everything was dry I added the photos behind the frame and then glued it all to the inside cover of the book.

For the other side of the cover I used paper to colour block the page and then I repeated the process already described. I used an Imagine If frame on the bottom middle photo to highlight the photo and again the rest is a combination of Imagine If chipboard and Cheery Lynn diecuts.

Here is the finished project. I love that because of the book cover this is free standing and does not need a frame.

I hope you enjoyed this project and encourage you all to give it a try. It is really very simple and produces a wonderful keepsake. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and I will endeavour to answer them for you. Have a great day and I will see you next week with another project.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Woo hoo. Thank you to the lovely ladies over at Left of Centre Creative Challenge Blog for choosing my altered torso Dark Faerie to be the winner for Challenge #35 on their blog. There were some amazing entries and I am really pleased that I won. Go and check them out and maybe join in a challenge.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

I have some great news to share. I have been chosen as a Design Team member for Southern Girls Challenge. This is an amazing challenge blog that posts monthly challenges for papercrafters. I am part of an diverse team of crafters and I am looking forward to this journey with such talented ladies. Please check out the Design Team's blogs and also the Southern Girls Challenge blog and join in the challenges. I am really looking forward to designing for these challenges. Wish me luck.﻿

Sunday, July 13, 2014

We have another great blog hop this week beginning with Jo's project that can be found here:Imagine If

Then you can follow through the blogs or you can check out Lilian's gorgeous retro pin cushion chair or Carol's beautiful layout. Once again there is a lovely prize to be won by commenting on one or all of the Design team blogs. This weeks prize pack is : A set of 4 Imagine If stencils: Rain Go Away, Walking in Sunshine, Snowflakes, and Twinkle Little Star

When Jo sent me out some chipboard for me to use in a project she included a gorgeous little chipboard dress form that I have been dying to use. So at the weekend I was home with the flu and everyone else it seems was at SENZ I thought it was a great opportunity to use this little piece. Here is the finished project.

I took a small 6x4 canvas and painted the edges with lavender, pink and aqua paint. I then glued on some Kaisercraft Fairy Tales paper.

I painted a chipboard corner flourish with the aqua paint then stamped it with a script stamp and then glued it on to the corner of the canvas. I then used some sequin waste as a stencil and added some spots using warm white paint. I also added beads to some of the gaps in the flourish.

Using Dusty Concord Tim Holtz distress ink I inked up some pieces from a book page and added them to the canvas to give a bit more visual interest.

Here is the chipboard piece that Jo sent me, isn't it lovely?. I sprayed the chipboard with Raisin and Cranberry distress sprays and then I added embossing powder to the bodice and randomly to the skirt. I then covered everything with clear embossing powder.

For the skirt I wanted something with a bit of 'Puff". I didn't want just flat paper underneath. Sousing the same sprays I used for the chipboard I sprayed a tissue and dried it with the heat gun. I scrunched it up and then glued the dress form on to the tissue. This has given a lovely 3D effect on the skirt.

I added wings cut from the Kaisercraft paper line and glued everything to the canvas. I inked up one of Imagine If's quotes from her Wings and Things quote sheet, added beads and adhered that to the canvas as well. I also added blue beads to the bottom of the skirt, mounding them up for dimension.Here is a close up (excuse the glue I took a picture before everything was dry), that's me too impatient to wait.

I hope you enjoyed this little project as I think it is quite a sweet little one and I believe it really showcases Jo's lovely chipboard.

Thanks for coming to my blog to see my project and I look forward to the next blog hop with Jo and the other girls.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

With no Design Team projects due this weekend and because I have wanted to do an altered torso for a long time I decided this weekend was the time to do it. I started with one of the plain medium sized paper mache torsos from Spotlight. Here is the finished project.

To begin I painted the torso with black gesso. I then used a zip that had a ring pull on it. This went over the shoulders and down the middle of the torso I put mesh tape under the zipper around the neck and upper chest of the torso. Over the sides of the zipper I put embossed aluminium tape that had small star shaped split pins added and I dry brushed with black paint and then gold. I then took a crocheted doily and arranged it beside the zipper and over the back of the torso. I then painted the doily black then used red paint over the top. For the sides I pinched out circles from embossed aluminium tape and used them to decorate the sides and back of the torso. I then took some chipboard alphabets and put them down the front of the torso. I painted them black then dry brushed them with red and gold. For the collar I used more aluminium tape and pop tabs glued together with red split pins added. I then used a small amount of ball chain to hang a spider charm and to close the collar.

The torso is attached to a small chrome candlestick holder that I got at a second hand shop.

I then got out my Paverpol to have a play and made the skirts, one black and one red from baby muslin. The overskirt is a crocheted doily that I got from a second hand shop. I dipped the cloth in the paverpol then I draped it over the torso. While they were drying I made the wings. I made these using wire and tissue paper, which I then painted and embossed with clear. black and silver embossing powder in places. they have a lovely leathery feel and they moulded into a nice shape.

I added details to the back, a chain for a belt and the little owl which is actually an earring from the local $2.00 shop.

All in all I am really happy with how this turned out and I think now I might look at doing a Light Faerie version.